Ceol agus spraoi: what's on this Bank Holiday weekend?
What's on?
Fleadh Cheoil
Starting big, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann kicks off in Wexford town on Sunday for its second year in a row in the sunny southeast.
The festival will officially kick off on Sunday with a special address from President Michael D Higgins but the early-bird festivities and excitement have already begun.
Expect music around every corner and impromptu seisiúns into the early hours of the morning as trad music takes over Wexford town.
Up to 600,000 musicians and visitors are expected to descend on the town for a week of traditional Irish music, dance and culture which will run up until Sunday, 10 August.
While some events are ticketed and require visitors to book, the majority of the events and seisiúns are free of charge.
All Together Now
There won't quite be 600,000 descending on Curraghmore Estate in Co Waterford, but 30,000 revellers will make their voices heard as All Together Now gets under way today for its sixth edition.
Fontaines DC and CMAT are two of the big Irish names who will take to the main stage while international acts Nelly Furtado and BICEP are also set to thrill crowds.
The festival is, unfortunately, fully sold out.
Spraoi International Street Arts Festival
Also taking place in Waterford this weekend is the Spraoi International Street Arts Festival.
Marketed as "Ireland's premiere summer street party", performers from across Ireland and the world will come to Waterford City with an exciting programme of street performers, contemporary circus, music, dance and fireworks.
The festival begins today and runs through until Sunday with the headline event, the Spraoi Festival Parade, expected to attract 25,000 spectators when it begins at 9.30pm on Sunday evening.
All performances in Spraoi festival are free.
Bray Air Display
For one day only, the Bray Air Display will excite north Wicklow crowds tomorrow with a "breathtaking array of aircraft and awe-inspiring aerobatics".
The free family festival kicks off at midday with fun, games and exhibitions on the seafront.
The air display itself begins at 3pm.
Mary from Dungloe
While the Mary from Dungloe International Arts Festival officially opened last weekend, the bulk of the events kick off today and run through until Sunday.
Inspired by the song 'Mary from Dungloe', the festival is centred around crowning a young woman who is deemed to embody the spirit of the festival and the town.
With events ranging from musical performances to dinosaur exhibitions and children's shortbread making classes, there is bound to be something for everyone at the famous Donegal festival.
The festival wraps up on Sunday night with the crowning of the 2025 Mary from Dungloe as she is welcomed on stage by none other than Donegal's favourite son, Daniel O'Donnell.
All-Ireland football final
Meath face Dublin in the TG4 All-Ireland ladies' football final in Croke Park at 4.15pm on Sunday.
The final is a repeat of the 2021 decider where Meath surprised Dublin to win the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time.
A crowd of just over 30,000 attended last year's final between Kerry and Galway with the LGFA hoping for an increased attendance this year.
What's in the cinema?
The reboot of the classic spoof cop franchise The Naked Gun is in cinemas from today and has received glowing praise in these pages.
Get ready to have your socks knocked off by the silliest film you'll see this year.
If you are not up for a laugh, the gripping night-in-the-life hospital drama Late Shift is also in cinemas from today as nurse Floria battles through an increasingly frantic night on a Swiss ward.
What's the weather going to be like?
The good news is that Saturday and Sunday look largely dry and warm across the country with only the odd shower and temperatures as high as 23C in parts.
However, heavy rain is forecast on Monday morning with Met Éireann predicting an unsettled day with unseasonably windy weather.
What's the advice?
The Road Safety Authority and gardaí have appealed to all road users to take care on the roads this Bank Holiday weekend.
Garda Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon said this is one of the busiest weekends on the roads and asked everybody to be "very conscious of our vulnerable road users, our cyclists and our pedestrians".
"We're asking people to slow down, we're asking people to just plan their journey ahead. Some will have long journeys this weekend, so take your time and take your breaks. Don't be using mobile phones or anything that might distract you while driving.
"We really do not want to be visiting another family with terrible news this weekend."
Water Safety Ireland also issued a rip current warning ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend with strong winds forecast.
It called on swimmers and open water users to choose lifeguarded beaches and to never use inflatable toys in open water.
It specifically warned the public of difficulties on east coast beaches where offshore winds will blow from land to sea.
"Offshore conditions make it even easier to be swept out to sea and harder to return safely. Swimmers, paddleboarders and other water users are urged not to take to the water in such conditions," it said, regarding offshore winds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
26 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Search is on for Ireland's latest EuroMillions winner as location revealed
What would you do with an unexpected spare €1,005,000? One Irish punter will have the long bank holiday weekend to ponder that question after winning the eye-watering amount on Friday. The EuroMillions player will be partying hard this weekend, and while they didn't score anywhere near the massive €250 million jackpot which was won in Cork over the summer, we're sure this player isn't complaining about an extra million hitting their bank account! The National Lottery has revealed that the winning ticket in Friday night's EuroMillions Ireland Only Raffle, worth a whopping €1,005,000 was won by an online winner in Co Sligo. What would you do with an unexpected spare €1,005,000? Pic: Getty Images The winning normal play ticket was purchased on July 19, and the winning raffle ticket number was: I-SLF-56168. Lotto bosses say a notification and an email have been sent to the lucky player. Meanwhile, the Sligo punter is not the only one celebrating a EuroMillions win this weekend, as a Louth player scooped an incredible €500,000 in the Plus draw. The National Lottery has revealed that the winning ticket in Friday night's EuroMillions Ireland Only Raffle, worth a whopping €1,005,000 was won by an online winner in Co Sligo. Pic: Getty Images The winning Quick Pick ticket was purchased on July 26 from Applegreen, Old Newry Road, Dundalk, Co Louth. The winning numbers in last night's EuroMillions Plus draw were: 4, 5, 15, 16 and 40. National Lottery spokesperson Darragh O'Dwyer said: 'What a night for our players! We've got a brand-new millionaire in Sligo thanks to the Ireland Only Raffle, and a brilliant €500,000 win in Louth from the EuroMillions Plus draw. The winning normal play ticket was purchased on July 19, and the winning raffle ticket number was: I-SLF-56168. Pic: Derick P. Hudson/Shutterstock. 'That's €1.5 million in top tier prizes heading to two counties in one night! We're absolutely thrilled and can't wait to meet our latest winners including Ireland's newest millionaire!' Earlier this week, another Irish player was just one number away from a life-changing jackpot win. The winning numbers for Tuesday's main EuroMillions draw was: 05, 06, 42, 44, 46 and the Lucky Stars were 04 and 08. The player had to settle for a prize of €2,256, having matched 4+2 Stars, while the eye-watering €150m jackpot rolled over to Friday's draw.
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Extra.ie
Garron Noone returns to social media after two-month hiatus
Garron Noone has made his return to the Internet after nearly two months off. The Mayo comedian, who tells his viewers to follow him because he's delicious, took a step back from the limelight after postponing all of his gigs this year due to mental health pressure, as well as saying that he wouldn't be making videos for a while. While Garron hadn't posted since June 17 (save for a few ads), the funnyman and singer has since made his return to TikTok and Instagram — with him coming back in true Garron fashion as he has a laundry list of things that annoy him that he wanted to get off his chest. Garron Noone has made his return to the Internet after nearly two months off. Pic: Garron Noone/TikTok 'Hello, how are ye gettin on,' Garron told his followers. 'I haven't made a video in two months, so I've got two months of complaining built up in me. Don't worry, I've written it down.' Kicking off in style, Garron said that the past two months 'have been far too f**kin warm for my liking,' saying that while he doesn't mind it being hot or cold, he detests being warm, adding 'I can't sleep because my body's just moist — I'm not even sweating, my body's just threatening to sweat… I should probably move on.' And move on he did, with soup of the day being his next target; telling his followers 'I don't want to gamble with soup. And what soup was it [when he ordered it]? Tomato soup. The worst kind of soup.' Garron took a brief break from posting to look after his mental health, and postponed an upcoming tour he was set to go on to next year. Pic: RTÉ 'Tomato soup is a sauce, not a soup, you're not fooling me.' He then went on to give out about how he lost a triple word score in Scrabble because the word he wanted to use (which we, unfortunately, can't repeat here) wasn't a 'valid word' before saying that he was running out of time but to follow him because 'I'm delicious.' People were delighted at Garron's return to the site, with one person commenting 'the return of the Irish king.' Garron has been open about his mental health struggles in the past, including a bout of agoraphobia for over a decade. Pic: Facebook 'Looking younger,' Jedward added, while others took him to task over his views on tomato soup; with one commenting 'grilled cheese and tomato soup is a classic,' while another added 'I normally agree with you but tomato soup is the soup of the gods.' Back in July, Garron announced that his upcoming tour was postponed until next year, admitting that it 'isn't possible' to do them 'at this time.' Garron has previously been very open with his mental health and how he battled Agorophobia — a condition that left him housebound — for a decade. In his statement, Garron said his struggles had 'gotten to a point' where he needs to put 'all of my energy into getting back on track.' 'I'm disappointed that I'm not going to be able to see you all, but, hopefully I will see you in 2026 for the rescheduled shows,' Garron said. 'All tickets remain valid for each reschedules show, if you would prefer a refund, please contact your ticket provider. 'If it was possible I would love to do them, but I have to accept that it isn't possible at this time.' He added that his social media break will 'also likely be a bit longer than I had first hoped,' clarifying that he would have some sponsored posts released in the foreseeable. 'Hopefully, it won't be too long after that until I'm back,' he said at the time. 'Until I see ye again, Stay Delicious.'
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Singer Moncrieff on backing Adele, a shout-out from Elton John and how tragedy shaped his music
The Waterford man's ten-year musical journey hasn't been without its challenges and frustrations, but has taken him around the world, given him the chance to support Adele on stage, and produce an Irish number one album with his talent catching the attention of Elton John. Now he's returning to the South East to perform in a headline show on the Live at Breakwater stage, alongside Gavin James, Amble, The Waterboys and The Whistlin' Donkeys. He's come a long way since dropping out of law school after his first year. The singer is a hurling fan and jokes, 'the one thing Wexford and Waterford people have in common is a bit of disdain for Kilkenny'. And he knows that this is a pretty reliable place to start when warming up the audience up ahead of an epic show. Moncrieff came to music later in life, and since 2017 he's been living in London. 'I felt I wasn't very good, so I think London offered a steeper learning curve and a place to throw myself into. If I had stayed at home or in Ireland, I probably wouldn't have gotten there, because I just had too many home comforts.' As a young man and the youngest child of the family, Moncrieff lost his brother Hugh and sister Laura to Cystic Fibrosis. These tragedies have naturally had a profound influence on his life and music. 'I think it changed everything about me. My brother and my sister helped shape my life. I was 15 when my sister passed away and 18 when my brother passed away. I started making music properly, the year after my brother passed. 'There was just a bunch of emotions that could have overwhelmed me. Music saved me in that regard and helped me put words on emotions that were too big to talk about that point in my life.' Apart from being driven by the challenge, London, a city of millions was an environment where it was 'easier to fail… London offered a blank slate, and nobody knows who you are. There's no real expectation, because nobody gives a shit about you'. When he first moved over at 19 years of age, Moncrieff was doing that Irish thing of apologising to people who bumped into him, thanking the bus drivers and starting conversations with random people over a pint. 'London can be a very unfriendly and lonely place, and I'm not sure I would have went if it wasn't for music,' he said. However, if he hadn't made the move perhaps Chris would have never become Moncrieff. London calling: A blank slate for success 'It's a long story. When I first moved over, I went to this open mic night in East London. I put my name on a list and waited to go on. The first person came on and they were fucking incredible, I thought 'I'm not cut out for this'. When I went up, I sang a song that was dedicated to my brother and sister. 'A random guy, a good bit older than me came up to me afterwards and bought me a pint. When I was talking to him, it felt like the universe was talking to me through this guy. He tried to give me 20 quid for a cab home, and then I did the Mrs. Doyle thing saying 'Ah no, you're grand'… But that guy's name was William Scott Moncrieff.' For the first time, the singer believed that he hadn't lost his mind chasing a dream and was on the right track. Catching Elton John's attention In 2017, Elton John, who has sold more than 300 million records worldwide, featured Moncrieff's song Symptoms on his Rocket Hour Show on Beats 1 Radio. 'It was very surreal. It was early on in my career and when it got the email, I thought, 'wait a minute, the Elton John?'. It definitely spurred me on.' His route to becoming a back up singer for Adele is even more peculiar. 'The music scene in London is smaller than you think. I was trying to write music, going to open mics and working in a restaurant. I made some mates and one of them just sent a message when I was getting a ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare because I had no money for a plane and he said, 'hey man, what's your availability like next week for an Adele gig'. F**k me, man, it was mental.' Breakwater homecoming Moncrieff's Breakwater gig is going to feel like a 'homecoming' for him. 'There'll be so many people from home there and it's going to be incredibly special.' For anybody walking through the streets of Wexford during the Fleadh, they will encounter exceptional street performers, buskers, and musicians young and old holding audiences captivated in impromptu gigs. Moncrieff has been on that journey. What Live at Breakwater is about is providing the opportunity that artists like him deserve to jump on a large and formidable stage and celebrate their talent. 'It's really cool to be able to share the stage with people that I know throughout the course of my life. This feels like a massive gig. I think it's going to be the biggest show I've ever done. 'I haven't done a hometown show in Waterford, so this is the closest thing. It's going to be f**king special, I'm putting everything into these shows to make it a memorable experience for the fans.' Music is a serious business for Moncrieff, but coming back to the South East means immersing himself into the craic. 'There was a couple of things, I was told I need to try. Where can I find the best spice bag? And somebody mentioned something about a rissole.'
